Each worker and/or other person entering a toxic and/or hazardous chemical spill zone is required to wear a so-called hazardous materials response suit. Generally, such protective suit is made of a laminated material to create a composition that contains the most desirable properties of the individual layers. For example, a material may be a composite of a chemically resistive barrier to prevent the passage of a chemical through the material, and a substrate material that strengthens the chemical resistive barrier so that the composite can be used to make clothing garments.
The industry standard for hazardous materials response suits is either Level "A"--Encapsulated, Gas Tight, or Level "B"--Encapsulated, Not Gas Tight. Both Level A and B suits are, by necessity, oversized and loose fitting. In addition, the person using the suit will almost always be wearing a so-called self contained breathing air apparatus (SCBA) which weighs between 30 and 50 pounds.
As a toxic and/or hazardous chemical spill zone is a dangerous environment, there is a likelihood that a person wearing the suit may become unconscious or incapacitated, requiring manual extraction from the spill zone while still in the suit. When manual extraction of a person encapsulated in the suit is required, two to four "hazardous material team members" manually carry the incapacitated person a distance ranging from 10 to 100 feet. However, manual handling of an unconscious or incapacitated person wearing a Level A or B Hazardous Materials Response Suit is very difficult owing to the size and loose fit of the suit as well as the weight of the SCBA equipment.
As an incapacitated person wearing the suit is extremely difficult to grasp or carry, there is a possibility that a rescuer will have a poor or slipping grip. If this occurs, the incapacitated person may be dragged on an abrasive surface, breaching the hazardous materials response suit and contaminating the wearer.